Enough
by scathachdhu
Summary: Inu Yasha is a proud person. How does he really feel about Kagome using that submit spell, especially around Kouga? One shot.


Yeah, Inu Yasha can be a jerk. But I'm tired of fics where everything is his fault. I also think it's childish of people to expect him to ignore his sense of responsibility towards Kikyou. Just a little one-shot.

* * *

Inu Yasha hated the feel of dirt in his face. It was hard to get off, it wasn't always just dirt, and lately, it was fucking demeaning.

After Kouga took off with another flippant remark, the hanyou stayed on the ground instead of leaping up immediately after the submission spell had worn off.

His friends talked amongst themselves for another few moments before realizing he hadn't gotten up.

"Inu Yasha?" Kagome sounded worried. "Inu Yasha, are you alright? Did I hurt you?"

Her sweet scent grew stronger as she kneeled and placed her hand on his shoulder. He finally raised his head and looked her in the face. His expression made her stiffen and move back slightly.

Inu Yasha gently but firmly removed her hand and sat up. He carefully brushed all the dirt from his face before looking her in the eye once more. She looked worried and more than a little uneasy.

"Don't touch me." He said softly.

Kagome jerked back as if he had slapped her. "Inu Yasha…"

"No." he said flatly. "Every time he comes around, you pull this shit. Enough."

Miroku and Sango looked at him in amazement, while Shippou immediately jumped to his friend's defense. "She wouldn't have to do that if you weren't such a jerk about Kouga!" His small body quivered with outrage from his perch on Kagome's shoulder.

Kagome covered Shippou's mouth. "I just don't want you to hurt each other, you know that." She said plaintively as she slowly rose to her feet.

"And what have you done to Kouga, Kagome? Besides welcome him and give him no sign that his attentions are unwanted? How many times have you punished him?" Inu Yasha asked calmly. His anger was evident in his clipped words and jerky motions as he straightened his clothing.

Kagome grew angry. "How many times do I have to tell you, I don't like him that way! I can't believe you have the nerve to be jealous even though you run off to Kikyou whenever she shows up."

Inu Yasha shook his head in disgust. "Kikyou is wandering the earth in a fucking shell of her former body. She's fueled by hate and vengeance, and it's partly my fault. I owe her spirit rest." His eyes narrowed. "What the fuck do you owe that wolf?"

Kagome's mouth dropped, and her lips began to tremble. "Inu Yasha…"

"No, really, Kagome, I'd like to know. What kind of obligation do you have to him that can possibly compare to what I owe Kikyou?"

Sango spoke up, concerned. She had never seen him like this before, and it was starting to frighten her. "Inu Yasha, maybe you should calm down."

"I don't want to hear from you either, Sango." He cut his amber eyes briefly in her direction. "No one seems to understand my responsibility. You all gang up on me and tell Kagome I'm a two-timer and a jerk. No one ever thinks about my side." He gave a bitter laugh. "And you're both hypocrites."

Miroku frowned, interested in spite of himself. "What do you mean?"

"Both of you have feelings that you refuse to act on, because you feel they interfere with prior obligations." Kagome said quietly. Everyone looked at her in surprise. "You both have quests that you are determined to finish before you allow yourselves to move on and continue your lives. In that way, you're no different from Inu Yasha."

The monk and the exterminator were taken aback, and stole brief looks at each other.

Finally, Miroku nodded. "I cannot argue with your reasoning, Kagome."

"Is that how you feel, Inu Yasha? That we all gang up on you?" Kagome asked.

"How the fuck am I supposed to feel?" he burst out, sounding more like himself. "Every time you go home, it's my fault. Every time Shippou or Kouga are obnoxious and piss me off, you sit me, and it's my fault. You never say anything to either of them. You're all sweetness and light. I fucking put my life on the line for you time and again…even though it's not mine to give anymore. Doesn't that mean anything?"

Everyone watched in shock as Inu Yasha continued to pour out his grievances. "I don't have a home. I don't have a family or a place where I belong. I'm an outcast, a half-breed. All I have is my word. That's all I have to prove that I have honor, that I'm not the monster everyone takes me for." He crossed his arms and turned his back on the group.

"You're supposed to be my friends. Why don't you understand that?"

Kagome's eyes were wide, and brimmed with unshed tears. "I…I didn't know…" Her hands twisted around each other helplessly.

Inu Yasha scowled. "Don't fucking cry…"

Kagome sniffled. Sango and Miroku looked at each other, then took a wide-eyed Shippou and silent Kirara away in order to give the two some privacy.

Despite his resolve, he felt himself melting at the sounds of her distress. He turned to look at her. She looked so small and frail, standing in the clearing, fighting off tears. With an aggravated sigh, he walked over and pulled her into his chest.

Kagome fisted her hands in his haori and bawled, her small body shaking with sobs. She didn't even notice when Inu Yasha picked her up and sat down, arranging her in his lap.

Her sobs eventually tapered off into sniffles, but she still didn't look him in the face.

Finally, she murmured, "Why didn't you ever say anything before?"

He snorted. "Keh! Seemed pretty obvious to me. I figured you all knew and didn't care."

She raised an incredulous, tear-streaked face to his. "How could you think I would intentionally hurt you like that?"

He raised an eyebrow. "You don't show too much restraint in using that fucking word. And…when you said you would stay with me…I told you that day. I told you how it was. I can't let my feelings get in the way of my responsibility. It's not right." He finished firmly.

"I know," she whispered.

They were silent for a few moments.

"Why," Inu Yasha began, "why are you so nice to him? Why can't you just let him know you're not interested?"

Kagome thought for a moment. "I guess…it just doesn't seem that important."

Inu Yasha bristled. "It doesn't bother you?"

"Well, sometimes," she said. "But the way he makes me feel…I don't feel as strongly about him as I do about you. So his actions don't seem as important."

Inu Yasha wasn't sure how he felt about that. On the one hand, he was glad to hear that he was more important than Kouga. On the other, he still wanted Kagome to put that wolf in his place.

"Do you believe me? Can you trust what I say?" Kagome asked him.

He didn't look at her. "Keh! Did you listen to anything I told you that day? Of course I trust you."

She smiled against his chest. "Good."

"Now stop talking. And just remember what I said the next time that wolf comes around."

"As long as you remember that it was you I gave my promise to, not him." She paused, then continued softly. "And you're the one I stay with."

Inu Yasha grunted in reply. After a moment, he asked, "You ready?"

Kagome nodded and stood. She gave her face one final wipe and turned to see Inu Yasha gain his feet with his normal wild grace.

"Come on. They couldn't have gone far." He turned to go after their friends, but paused when he felt a small hand wrap around his. He didn't turn to look at her, but he did squeeze her hand in return as they began walking.

This wouldn't be the end. Neither Kagome nor Inu Yasha could move forward until the situation had been settled with both Kouga and Kikyou, and the subject would definitely come up again.

It wasn't perfect, but at least they understood each other a little more now.

For now, it was enough.


End file.
